The FIFA Women’s World Cup is closer than you think, with kick off just over 14 months away, The Halfway Line looks at who could book their spot at the tournament this month.
In March, the first nations to join Brazil at the Women’s World Cup next year were confirmed. The Asia Cup semi finalists: Australia, Japan, China and South Korea all made it while the Philippines and North Korea advanced from the play offs for the losing quarter finalists. So that’s seven confirmed but with 25 places still up for grabs, it is all still to play for. At the very least one more side will join them this April as the World Cup picture continues to take shape.
OFC – Women’s World Cup qualifying
Who could qualify this month? New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, American Samoa
One of the only sure fire things we’ll know once this international window comes to an end is the automatic Oceania Football Confederation [OFC] representative at Brazil 2027. The four team tournament is partly hosted in Auckland, partly in Hamilton. The winner advances to the World Cup and the runner up heads to the intercontinental play offs.
New Zealand are the obvious favourites, alongside home advantage they are the highest ranked side in OFC. The Football Ferns have qualified for every World Cup since failing to qualify in 2003, the last time Australia were included in the Oceanic portion of qualifying. The joint hosts of the previous World Cup face Fiji in the semi final. On the other side of the draw are Papua New Guinea and American Samoa. American Samoa are enjoying one of the great underdog stories, having never scored a goal in World Cup qualifying before this edition, they have now scored nine in five matches winning four of them. Another uphill challenge awaits them in Papua New Guinea, whom they have never beaten in five attempts conceding 41 goals and scoring none in the process. However the island nation had a similar record against Solomon Islands who they knocked out in the previous round, underestimate them at your own peril.
UEFA
Who could qualify this month? Germany, France
UEFA accounts for more spots at the World Cup than any other confederation with eleven going to European sides and one inter-continental play off spot. Only two nations can qualify in this international break and both need favours elsewhere in order to do so. France can qualify but need to beat Netherlands home and away and hope that neither Poland nor Ireland win both their encounters against each other.
It is a similar story for Germany who can qualify if they beat Austria home and away and Slovenia and Norway draw both matches of their double header. Head to head record comes above all in a tie breaker including goal difference in qualifying for the World Cup by UEFA. That means that neither Spain nor England can qualify this break. Even if England win their matches and Spain lose both of theirs as they face each other in the next international break there is always an opportunity to turn around a negative head to head.
League A, group one is the only group where no side still has a perfect record. That means neither Sweden nor Denmark who currently share top spot can qualify this break.
CAF – Women’s World Cup qualifying
We should already know the four automatic qualifiers from Africa however when WAFCON was delayed, so too was World Cup qualification on the continent. The semi finalists will qualify for the World Cup in Brazil with the four losing quarter finalists facing off in ‘play in’ matches for a place in the inter-continental play offs. Morocco, South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana are the top seeded nations best placed to advance directly to Brazil.
WAFCON was delayed less than two weeks before the competition was due to kick off. The latest in a long line of mistakes and a distinct lack of care afforded to the women’s game by CAF. The tournament is now set to take place in July and August 2026 and we’ll keep you up to date on African women’s football’s showpiece event right here at The Halfway Line.
CONMEBOL
CONMEBOL’s participants at the World Cup in Brazil will be decided by the confederations inaugural Nations League campaign. The nine team league table is the first stand alone tournament held to determine qualifiers from CONMEBOL. Only the top two qualify automatically while third and fourth will head to the inter-continental play offs.
Venezuela currently top the table but have played a game more than Colombia and Argentina who are just a point behind. Venezuela face their toughest test yet tonight, travelling to Cali to play Colombia. The other two sides in the top four also face each other with Chile hosting Argentina.
Chile will be determined to avoid the inter-continental play offs after being stunned by Haiti last time out. To round off this window, Argentina face Colombia, the two nations that are favourites to finish in the top two. Colombia dramatically found a way past Argentina in the Copa America semi final on penalties last year and Argentina will be seeking revenge. Both have already dropped points, Argentina drew against fellow defeated Copa America semi finalists Uruguay while Bolivia stunned Colombia holding them to a draw.
Peru and Uruguay face each other this window, realistically knowing that only a victory will keep either nations hopes of automatic qualification alive.
CONCACAF – Women’s World Cup qualifying
Much like WAFCON and the Asia Cup CONCACAF determine their automatic qualifiers for the World Cup via their continental major tournament. In order to make the World Cup, first you have to qualify for the CONCACAF W Championship. USA and Canada have qualified automatically for the W Championship as the two highest ranked nations from CONCACAF in the FIFA Women’s World rankings.
As for the rest of the continent, 29 nations are split into six groups. Only first place in each of the six qualifying groups will make the W Championship in November. The final rounds of qualifiers take place in the coming days with much still to be decided.
In Group A, the U.S. Virgin Islands’ incredibly thin hopes of advancing from Group A are likely to end tonight against Mexico. That will leave a straight shoot out between Puerto Rico and Mexico, who face each other on the final day with the winner keeping their World Cup dream alive. The match will see the two top scorers in CONCACAF qualifying with both on nine goals. That is Puerto Rico’s Jill Aguilera of Carolina Ascent up against veteran Mexican forward Charlyn Corral of C.F. Pachuca.
Jamaica look set to dot the i’s and cross the t’s on qualification for the W Championship this window too, avoiding defeat against Guyana would be enough, even if they’ll have to do it without Bunny Shaw. Guatemala and Costa Rica remain on 100% records in Group C, a winner takes all battle awaits in the final day on 18th April. In Group D, Pia Sundhage’s Haiti could confirm their place at the W Championship by avoiding defeat against Dominican Republic. A similar situation has unfolded in Group E with Panama knowing a point against Cuba will be enough. Conversley, Cuba travel to Penonomé knowing only victory will do to keep their World Cup hopes alive and simultaneously end Panama’s.
The final group sees the somewhat unconvincing top seeds Trinidad & Tobago requiring victory at home to El Salvador to secure qualification to the W Championship. The Soca Warriors survived a massive scare last month, going 2-0 down to Honduras before they were saved by two penalties, with one coming in the 87th minute to rescue them a point.
